Really good birds at Death Valley - 2/20/00

From: Chris Howard and Rosie Beach
Date: 2/22/00
Time: 8:53:52 AM
Remote Name: 209.209.68.67

Comments

The highlight of the 2/17 - 2/20 trip was Phill Kiddoo's 2/6 Snowy Egret continuing at the Furnace Creek Golf Course. This small egret fit all the classic hallmarks of a Snowy: it had a black bill with a yellow base connecting the eye; plumes drooping behind the nape and lower breast; bright yellow feet with black claws. One oddity, it had yellow legs with a black stripe down the back 1/3 of the leg. NGS 3rd shows this being an immature trait. Fun early bird!

Other really neat birds in the Furnace Creek vicinity included a White-throated sparrow, a Swamp Sparrow, an early empid: Gray Flycatcher, a Violet-Green Swallow perched with Tree's, a Myrtle Warbler, and a "lutescens" race Orange-crowned Warbler.

A jaunt to China Ranch for their famous date shakes also yielded the equally famous male Northern Cardinal!